Award

Creative Content Exchange Platform

NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM

This public procurement record has 5 releases in its history.

Award

04 Feb 2026 at 14:05

TenderUpdate

15 Dec 2025 at 19:05

Tender

12 Dec 2025 at 19:05

PlanningUpdate

17 Nov 2025 at 16:05

Planning

17 Nov 2025 at 12:05

Summary of the contracting process

The Creative Content Exchange Platform, spearheaded by the Natural History Museum (NHM) in collaboration with UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and the Department for Culture, Media, and Sport (DCMS), marks a substantial initiative in the Creative Industries Sector Plan. Based in London, the procurement covers networking, internet, and intranet software packages alongside software programming services. This process, which commenced as a tender, has now reached the award stage with the contract designated to Harbr Group Limited for a total gross value of £600,000, following an open procurement procedure. The contract period begins on 24 February 2026 and may be renewed beyond the initial term. The procurement reflects the UK Government’s commitment to creating a trusted marketplace for cultural and creative digital assets.

The project offers a notable business growth opportunity for software developers and IT service providers specialised in networking and internet solutions. With its focus on a robust and secure platform facilitating data exchange and content licensing, the initiative is ideal for SMEs skilled in software programming and consultancy services. Companies capable of providing technical support, content management, and secure digital environments will find this tender particularly fitting. By engaging in this initiative, businesses can strengthen their portfolio in the government sector while contributing to the digital transformation of cultural asset management in the UK.

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Notice Title

Creative Content Exchange Platform

Notice Description

The UK Government is committed to establishing a Creative Content Exchange (CCE) in the Creative Industries Sector Plan (June 2025). The intention is for the CCE to be a trusted marketplace for selling, buying, licensing, and enabling permitted access to digitised cultural and creative assets. To test the proof of concept behind the CCE, The Natural History Museum (NHM) in collaboration with UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and The Department for Culture, Media, and Sport (DCMS) is organising a small, closed pilot. As part of this NHM is exploring options for procuring a complete platform solution to house the Creative Content Exchange (CCE) for the duration of the pilot. We envisage that this solution will need to comprise: a) infrastructure and utilities for effecting the exchange of data and content (text, video, audio, multi-modal) between providers and consumers; b) the facility for providers and consumers to enter into licensing and other types of commercial agreements; c) the ability to set terms and conditions of use for the CCE that providers and consumers need to adhere to; d) facility for a notice and takedown process within an agreed SLA; e) human technical support for providers, consumers and the CCE team within agreed SLAs; f) training for CCE team on use of the platform in the UK; g) agreement that the whole of the CCE and any content or documents stored in it will be located in the UK and governed by UK law; h) adequate security to ensure the CCE and any content or documents stored in it will be safe from malicious access; i) facility for content providers to make content samples available to consumers; j) provision of a sandbox or similar type of test environments; k) provision of fine grained access controls for content providers to configure; and l) billing, invoicing and payment facility. To view this notice, please click here: https://www.delta-esourcing.com/delta/viewNotice.html?noticeId=1011515324

Lot Information

Lot 1

Renewal: The Contract may be extended beyond the Initial Term on a maximum of two occasions, for a period of up to 6 months on each occasion (each a "Renewal Period") at NHM's sole discretion, by NHM giving the Contractor not less than one months' notice prior to the expiry of the Initial Term or the Renewal Period (as applicable).

Planning Information

Please use the following link: https://forms.office.com/r/cQuLNcBG8M These responses will help us to shape the Invitation to Tender. Participation in this questionnaire is not mandatory or binding and will not affect eligibility for involvement in the tender process.

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-05e256
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/010020-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Planning, Tender, Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK6 - Contract Award Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Open
Procurement Method Details
Open procedure
Tender Suitability
SME
Awardee Scale
SME

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

48 - Software package and information systems

72 - IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support


CPV Codes

48200000 - Networking, Internet and intranet software package

48490000 - Procurement software package

72200000 - Software programming and consultancy services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£500,000 £500K-£1M
Lots Value
£500,000 £500K-£1M
Awards Value
£500,000 £500K-£1M
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
4 Feb 20262 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
19 Jan 2026Expired
Future Notice Date
28 Nov 2025Expired
Award Date
3 Feb 20262 weeks ago
Contract Period
24 Feb 2026 - 24 Feb 2027 1-2 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Complete
Lots Status
Complete
Awards Status
Pending
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM
Contact Name
Lisa Ireland
Contact Email
lisa.ireland@thecce.co.uk
Contact Phone
Not specified

Buyer Location

Locality
LONDON
Postcode
SW7 5BD
Post Town
South West London
Country
England

Major Region (ITL 1)
TLI London
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLI3 Inner London - West
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLI33 Kensington & Chelsea and Hammersmith & Fulham
Delivery Location
Not specified

Local Authority
Kensington and Chelsea
Electoral Ward
Brompton & Hans Town
Westminster Constituency
Kensington and Bayswater

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

HARBR GROUP

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

View full OCDS Record for this contracting process

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The Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS) is a framework designed to increase transparency and access to public procurement data in the public sector. It is widely used by governments and organisations worldwide to report on procurement processes and contracts.

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